Game's Thoughts and Insights

New Blog Incoming!

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:38:00 +0000

Yep, I've got myself a new blog over at wordpress.com

For all my readers out there, here's the link. Time to update your bookmarks.

I'm Back From My "Business" Trip

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:59:00 +0000

For those of you that don't know, since Wednesday, I've unofficially signed off of teh internets in preparation for this trip.

Without doing a full write up here (It's late, I'm still slightly jet-lagged and drained) I'll give you a few of the biggest points. Once I've had a chance to relax (read: recover) from the trip, I'll begin my official travelogue and transcripts of the two interviews I had, which will most likely be posted at Talk Xbox.

The day started with some of the best pancakes I've ever had, and the 13 or so other attendees and I BS-ing with the EA reps. After breakfast we made the short walk to EA, and were given our visitor passes. Shortly, the EA rep came out and said he had a surprise for us. Long story short, minutes later, I was playing a near final build of Army of Two. Shortly after, I found myself in an impromptu interview (digital voice recorder in hand) with one of the game's designers. I was nervous as hell, but I think I did a good job.

Following our preview of Army of Two (I won't post full details here, but I will link you to them once I've finalized everything) we were given the grand tour of what has to be the most awesome office buildings I've ever seen. Again, can't divulge much, but I took lots of pictures.

Finally, we were taken to a room on the second floor, marked "vacant". Inside awaited no less than 15 Xbox 360's and HD monitors running Burnout Paradise. We were all treated to a seat, and invited to play by Craig Sullivan, Lead Designer of the game of the hour. I began playing, linking up with 5 others online and freeburning around the city, which was a load of fun. During this time, we were each given one on one interview time with Mr. Sullivan. Again, nervousness mounted, but thankfully, I prepared a few questions in advance just in case such an opportunity would arise. So, digital voice recorder in hand once again, I walked into the meeting room with the man, nervous as hell and the interview commenced. Again, I won't reveal much, but I have to say, I'm very happy with the results.

During the day, there was a single player contest in which we were all given a half hour to score over a million points on a single stunt run, a feat that hasn't been accomplished by many. Well, yours truly pulled it off, receiving one of only twenty T-Shirts given out thus far signifying the achievement and will possibly be immortalized on the Burnout page, being part of EA's official Millionaire's club.

When the day was over, we retired to the hotel for a brief moment of solace and rest before hitting the restaurant, where I acquired a slightly tipsy condition and many stories were told and toasts were made.

It was one hell of a day and one hell of a trip. Who knew a business trip could be this awesome?

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane...

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 04:30:00 +0000

I’m finally ready to reveal just what the mysterious “Career changing event” I announced a few days ago is going to be. My travel itinerary is set and tomorrow, I’ll be heading out to California until Saturday to attend a Burnout Paradise Community Event, sponsored by EA, at their Redwood Shores studio on behalf of Talk Xbox. As you would likely expect, I’m extremely excited about this opportunity, as it is not only some random business trip. It’s the opportunity I’ve been dreaming about, one of the more glamorous perks of working in the gaming industry. I’m actually being flown out to California to play video games.

Over the past week or so, I’ve been running around, getting everything ready for my big trip. It’s amazing. Everything seemed to come together just as I needed it to. A few weeks ago, I finally got around to replacing the busted AC adapter for my laptop, which has been out of commission for months now. Unfortunately, I was delivered the incorrect model and took my time setting up the return. Once I found out about this trip, I sped things up a bit, but it was so close to the date of the trip that I was sure it wouldn’t arrive in time. Thankfully, HP unexpectedly opted for overnight shipping, meaning I had my cable within two days of sending it out. Wow. Now that’s what I call good (and convenient) customer service.

Another obstacle presented itself about a week or so ago when I misplaced my Driver’s License. One can only imagine how terrified I was, knowing I wouldn’t be allowed on the plane without it. As I pulled the car out of the garage, ready to set out to Best Buy to pick up the digital voice recorder I figured I’d need for the trip, I decided to look under the front seats for my missing license. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I found it there. “Yes!” I exclaimed in joy as I pulled it from under the seat and placed it snugly in my wallet where it belonged. With everything coming together so perfectly, the Cosmos must be on my side and someone or something up there wants me to go on this trip.

This is the first event I’ll be attending as both a member of the gaming press and as a gamer (unless you count the Nintendo Fusion Tour in 2006) and I’m making the most of it. This isn’t just an opportunity to play games in a new location…this is an opportunity to network with my peers and make connections. I may be relatively introverted in my daily life, but you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be shaking hands with practically everyone I see at the event.

As far as the specifics of the trip go…I’ll be departing from Metro Airport around 7:15 pm, and I’m expected to arrive around 9:30 PST. That leaves me just enough time to get to the hotel, check in, unpack and go to sleep in anticipation of the next day. Friday, I’ll be up bright and early to meet everyone in the hotel lobby where we’ll be taken to breakfast, introduced and then make the short walk to EA Redwood Shores. There, we’ll have a Q&A session with lead designer Craig Sullivan, followed by a couple hours of multiplayer gaming sessions, lunch, and an additional Q&A session followed closely by more gaming in the form of single player contests and a multiplayer tournament. Finally, we head out for dinner and drinks (man I wish I was 21) and finally retire to the hotel. Saturday, I head on back home around one, arriving home once again around eight or so.

It’s a bit of a shame I won’t be able to do a bit of sightseeing while I’m there and enjoy the hotel (which is quite nice if I do say so myself) but I’m certainly not about to complain. The trip alone, with the opportunities for networking and gaming that lies therein is more than enough for me. As I’ve already said, I’m enormously excited for this trip. I plan on recording a travelogue in addition to my detailed written account of the event so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Wish me luck guys, I’m excited, but I’m also a bit nervous. I’ve never had an opportunity like this before and of course, I want to do my best to make the most of it. Who knows? If everything goes well here, I might find myself on a plane to California again later this year, en route to E3 2008.

As a side note, I’m finishing up my review of Devil May Cry 4, which I’ll be submitting to my editors later tonight.

Super Bowl XLII

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:22:00 +0000

Huh...I didn't see that one coming. I figured this was going to be the Patriots' year and they would go all the way to grab that coveted perfect season. Believe it or not, I was actually rooting for them to win. As much as they're hated for their many victories, they work hard for those wins, and apparently, the New York Giants were the only ones who could take them down. Nevertheless, I am proud of the Giants and now, Eli Manning joins his big brother Peyton in the Super Bowl hall of fame.

As for the game itself, I have to say, up until the fourth quarter, I was damn near falling asleep on it. Hell, the commercials weren't even that great. Unfortunately, I was forced to work on Sunday until seven o clock and didn't get out of there until somewhere around seven thirty so I missed the entire first quarter and much of the second and to make matters worse, I came home with a splitting headache to boot. Last year's Super Bowl, which began with an amazing kick return is my bar, and certainly among the most exciting games I've watched of the sport, so naturally, anything less is a big letdown. Things heated up appropriately in the fourth quarter as the Giants edged out the Patriots with a series of spectacular plays, coming back late in the fourth to score the final touchdown, which made the score 17 -14, which would remain that way until the end of the game.

I have more respect for the Giants now than I ever did before. I always pegged them as a great team, but I didn't know if they had what it took to win the Big Game. Well, it seems I was wrong. Congratulations on your victory Giants, you've certainly earned it.

Don't You Hate Writer's Block?

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 07:10:00 +0000

On occasion when you sit down to write something, have you ever sat there for a few minutes waiting for words to pour out of your pen onto the page...words that never seem to come? Have you ever sat there racking your brain trying to think of something of something to write on your pre-selected topic...or just the topic itself and then decide to do something else because nothing seems to be coming to you? If you've answered yes to any of these questions then Congratulations! You've just been hit with Writer's Block!

Well maybe Congratulations aren't in order here...

As of late, I've been finding it tough to get my thoughts out there on paper (or on the computer screen, whatever the case may be) in any form. Writer's Block seems to have fallen out of the sky and landed on me like (to use an old cliché) a ton of bricks. Dear God, now I'm digging up cliché’s to further my point. Man I need some help here, and fast.

So, I've decided to sit here and force myself to write this blog post, even though I've been feeling guilty about delaying my 2007 Retrospective so much. I've been putting it off and putting it off, hoping the inspiration I need to finish it would suddenly hit me and I'd be able to put something out there I can be proud of. Unfortunately, no such inspiration has come along. What's worse is, I'm not just blocked from doing this, oh no. The Gods of Writing must be very unhappy with me, because I can't do much of anything as it pertains to writing. Twice this past week I really had to phone it in with two of my assignments for school, one being a review of Ben-Hur, which I just recently saw (yes, I know I'm uncultured) in the film class I'm taking this semester. Well, to put it mildly, Ben-Hur is one of the best films I've ever had the pleasure of viewing and I don't think the review I submitted was anywhere near as good as it could've been. While this is partially due to the fact that I procrastinate like crazy (why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?) but a large part of it is undoubtedly this damn Writer's Block.

Alright, gotta keep the ball rolling, since I've heard that forcing yourself to write is one of the best ways to rid yourself of the shackles that bind your hand. So...umm...what to talk about now...Oh yeah, I picked up a few new games recently.

Ninja Gaiden Black

Great game so far. I now see why people call this one of the most hardcore games ever made. The difficulty is like a wall for players like me who tend to mash buttons and hope for the best. While that may work in a game like Heavenly Sword, it'll earn you an early death in this game. It forces you to change your play style in a good way and once you adjust, the game becomes really fun.

Final Fantasy Chronicles

My main motivation for picking this title up was (obviously) Chrono Trigger. Now, I've never played this game prior to picking this compilation up but I've definitely heard all of the hype surrounding it ranging from folks saying it's a must play to the best Japanese RPG ever. After putting some time into it, I can see why it was hyped as much as it was. While I typically shy away from RPG's of the Japanese persuasion because I dislike random encounters and turn-based battle systems, the battle system in Chrono Trigger is far better than the average battle system and I definitely enjoy not running into a flock of enemies every two steps.

Dead or Alive Ultimate

Now I haven't played this one yet. I've been too busy with Ninja Gaiden and Chrono Trigger but I'm sure I'll give it some time this weekend.

I guess that's enough free writing for now. I don't think I've completely shaken this Writer's Block just yet, but I feel a great deal more comfortable with writing now. And since I've got a review of Burnout Paradise and possibly Rez HD coming up for Talk Xbox, I'm going to need to be as loose as possible to deliver the quality I expect of myself. Alright I’m done for now. If necessary, I’ll pick it up again tomorrow.

Time for some much deserved sleep…

Internet...Serious F***ing Business.

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 05:58:00 +0000

Man, Xbox Live has to have one of the worst online communities I've ever seen.

Now, if you know me as well as you think you do, you should know that I'm pretty heavy into online gaming. Online games consume a great deal of my gaming time, since single player games seem to fly by all too quickly these days. Thus, you'll frequently find me online on Xbox Live playing Halo 3 or Forza 2 or Call of Duty 4 (my most recent fave) so; many of you may be wondering what prompted me to say such a thing. Well, it all began earlier this very evening.

As many Xbox 360 owners already know, some nasty performance problems befell Xbox Live over the holidays, attributed to a massive surge in new memberships. People complained. To compensate for these issues, Microsoft announced that they would be making the Xbox Live Arcade title Undertow (really great game, download it if you haven't already) a free download. Well, I've had the game for quite a while and was disappointed that its online community was sorely lacking, to the point where finding a match was like trying to find a sliver of glass in the middle of a blizzard. Next to impossible. Well, I loaded the game up today and I'm happy to say, the online community has exploded for this game, which I'm very happy to see. Having a choice of which (populated!) server to enter made was a sight I never thought I'd see...but I digress.

I hopped into a team deathmatch server and immediately got to fraggin. Now, because of some rather...unsavory folks I've run into on Xbox Live in the past, I tend to play with my microphone muted or just off entirely. I heard the muffled voices of numerous players coming though my speakers. The sound wasn't quite loud enough to hear what they were saying with any kind of clarity but it didn't matter because I paid it no mind, focusing my attention on the game itself. Suddenly, I heard the all too familiar -blip- as my Xbox 360 told me someone, (for the purpose of discussion, we'll just call him "Billy") had just sent me a voice message.

I raised an eyebrow. Hmm...sounds familiar. I called up the player list and here I saw Billy. The same bloke I'd just received a message from mere nanoseconds ago. Well, I found myself dead at the hands of some enemy soldier and, being able to pick where and when to respawn, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go check the message. I fired up my wireless headset and clicked "play voice message" from the Xbox 360's Guide menu.

They always said curiosity killed the cat...

The message began to play and instantly, Billy proceeded to berate me, saying all manner of hateful things like "get a life" and many other nasty things I won’t bother to print here. Within a matter of seconds, my curious, inquisitive expression darkened significantly and by the end of the message, a frown was quite apparent. In that instant, I was ready to tear good old Billy a new one. But something happened. Just as I was ready to record an even more spiteful and malicious message to hurl back across the internet with a vengeance, I stopped. Instead, I merely sent him a text message saying: "Wow, you really told me." and blocked any further communications from him. I realized, as I filed a complaint on my new friend Billy, I was about to engage in a vocal quarrel with someone...over the internet.

It's amazing isn't it? The internet has evolved so much from the days when University Professors and Graduate students used it as a means to share data. Now, some unsavory folks use it as a means to share insults with a wide range of unsuspecting people. Ah...we've come so far haven't we?

I'm not writing this as some desperate plea to the many people out there like Billy to stop because I know that's never going to happen. I know how it is for Billy and his moronic friends, who are too cowardly to actually say these kinds of things in person and instead rely on the internet to vent their hatred toward society or...anyone who kills them in an online game. They scream these insults from the comfort of the couch in their mother's basement because they know that the odds are in their favor that they'll never run into the people they're insulting and thus, will never have to own up to their actions.

All I have to say to Billy and those who think like him...I hope the message I sent you provides you with the attention you seem to be desperately craving right now and if you were expecting to get a rise out of me, you'll be sorely disappointed because I don't take the internet as seriously as you apparently do.

Or maybe I do. This is the Internet after all...and it’s serious fucking business...

2007 Retrospective: Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:33:00 +0000

It's been a long time coming, but here it is, the first installment in my series of 2007 Retrospective blogs. Last year, I did something similar, but I didn't feel I elaborated as much as I needed to so this year, I'm going to do things a bit differently. This is just the introduction, and more posts will follow in the coming days as I finalize my thoughts, culminating with my top ten games of the year.

_______________________________________

Throughout the years, as gaming has matured, longtime gamers have seen the transition from two dimensions to three, numerous new gaming platforms and most importantly, literally hundreds of great games. As the years pass, the years themselves become somewhat of a catalog for these games. When a new year begins to approach, people begin to nominate their personal “Games of the Year”, putting the best games of that particular year in the spotlight and for this reason, some years begin to stand out among the rest,

2007 was one of those standout years. Gamers were practically inundated with quality software, regardless of which platform they owned. From Super Mario Galaxy to The Orange Box and Call of Duty 4 to Halo 3, there was certainly no shortage of great games to be had this year, perhaps even more so than any other year before it.

I must take time here to thank the ones who made all of this possible, the ones who slaved away hours upon hours day after day until their game had that special something that brought everything together. Every year, as we commend these great games for how well crafted, beautifully executed and above all, highly entertaining they are, we seldom thank those people who made that magic happen. The myriad of excellent developers such as Infinity Ward and Bioware made all of this happen, for if they had not sown the seeds, there would have been nothing to harvest.

In his monthly letter to his many readers, Andy McNamara, Editor-in-Chief of GameInformer magazine prefaced the letter by saying, “It is weird when you think about it. The year that was 2007 could arguably be the best year for video game software to date.” Looking back on the previous year, reminiscing on all the fond memories I had in just that year alone; I can easily say he and I share the same opinion. With the Xbox 360 closing the book on its second year and the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii closing out their first, it is indeed weird to think so many quality titles would be released in just one year.

If anyone walked up to you and said 2007 could quite possibly be one of gaming’s best, would you have believed them? Skepticism would have likely been my first response. While I expected such titles as Super Mario Galaxy and Halo 3 to deliver, many titles, such Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Crackdown took me by surprise. But of course, as has been said many times, the best surprises are the ones you don’t see coming.

Over the course of the next few days, I will take the time to break down many of the current platforms one by one, to pinpoint just what made 2007 such a great year for each platform.

Panzer Dragoon Orta Found In The Wild!

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 23:07:00 +0000

During a trip to Somerset Mall today, after looking around aimlessly for a Border's bookstore and finding out it wasn't there once I finally found a directory, I decided on a whim to walk into FYE since it was close by. I looked around at their selection of movies and music for a short while, all the while slowly moving towards the video game section, as I naturally do in any store that sells them. I began browsing through their wares without the slightest intention to buy anything due to my discount at GameStop and EB Games (which was right around the corner) and their somewhat inflated prices when suddenly, something on the bottom shelf caught my eye. I dropped the game I was holding and immediately picked up the game that had so quickly ensnared my attention. I couldn't believe I had actually found not one but two brand new copies of Panzer Dragoon Orta.

Now, the game has been out of print for quite some time, thanks in no small part to somewhat lackluster sales. Because of this, finding a used copy of the game is a rare occurrence, much less a brand new one. The price may have been a bit steep compared to the average new Xbox game (30 bucks) but that didn't stop me from running to the register, whipping out my plastic so fast the cashier probably felt a nice gust of wind and buying it. Okay, I exaggerate, but still I was pretty excited. As of late, I've found I'm almost as fond of collecting games as I am actually playing them so naturally, knowing how rare this game is, I had to buy it.

Well, that’s it for now…back to my 2007 Retrospective.

GripShift Review

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 22:54:00 +0000

Here's a small snippet of my review of GripShift, one of the more recent Xbox Live Arcade titles. A link to the full review is below.

"In an effort to branch out from traditional racing or puzzling, the latest from Sidhe Interactive combines both with GripShift. These two genres, which are typically kept far apart, seem like they could work quite well here. The game is best described as a cross between the winding, suspended tracks of Super Monkey Ball, with the battle centric racing of Mario Kart. Unfortunately, due to the focus being split between the two genres, GripShift never shines in any one area and has its fair share of flaws."

- Justin McBride, Talk Xbox

Full Review

Full Undertow Review

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:02:00 +0000

My review of Undertow, one of the Xbox Live Arcade's best titles has been posted on Talk Xbox.

"Have you ever wondered what a full-scale war would be like...underwater? This scenario, in which people from various civilizations wage war in the depths of the ocean for control over its vast waters, has been realized in Undertow. This is the first game from Chair Entertainment, an independent developer and publisher. It comes as no surprise that this is one of the most original games on the Xbox Live Arcade, but it did surprise me that this title is so much fun to play."

- Justin McBride, Talk Xbox.com

Check out the full review at the link below and remember, you can catch all of my latest Xbox 360 game reviews at that site.

http://www.talkxbox.com/review1199.html

Rest In Peace, Journalistic Integrity…The Week After Retrospective

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:15:00 +0000

After a long debate, I finally decided I should chime in on how I feel regarding the now infamous termination of Jeff Gerstmann. It’s been about a week now and I’ve cooled off significantly, but this issue is too big for me not to say anything about, especially given my ties to the gaming industry. I’ve grown up playing games; I’ve seen the evolution of gaming from the 16-bit era to the HD Era. In that time, I began to read gaming related publications and developed an enormous interest in the numerous facets of gaming journalism. So when this news crossed my desk, It immediately captured my interest.

When I began to hear the rumors, I blew it off, thinking it was just another rumor started by some anonymous whistleblower to get some attention. That's when the evidence began to mount. More websites began to report the rumor. More people began to speak up about it. With each passing second, its validity grew as the news spread like wildfire across the internet.

Funny thing about rumors. Most of them are true...

I began to think to myself, "No way". There's no way any company would fire someone (let alone their longest tenured editor) due to advertiser pressure. CNET has denied these claims but I don't know if I believe them. After all I've heard over the past few days, all the reports that have come out from anonymous GameSpot editors and all of the cryptic messages hidden in staff blogs (and former staff members)...I just don't trust them anymore.

I think I'm beginning to lose faith in the gaming industry as a whole...

As an up-and-coming journalist, this hit me particularly hard. My whole worldview is shaken for a multitude of reasons. GameSpot has been my primary source for reviews for the four years I’ve been coming to it. I may not have agreed with every call they’ve made, but I’ve always respected them. One of my highest goals in working in the gaming industry was one day working for this very site. Up until now that is. Since I no longer trust CNET, I wouldn’t want to work under their umbrella network and subject to the same managerial team that terminated Jeff Gerstmann for giving his honest opinion.

This experience has opened my eyes to a new side of the gaming industry, a side I never wanted to see. A side of the gaming industry that has been corrupted by capitalism. As a direct result of the industry growing from a niche market to one of the largest markets for entertainment, the potential for making money has increased, and each one of the multitude of publishers wants a slice.

As the industry grows, so does the role of the gaming journalist. More and more gaming related publications have appeared, especially with the advent of the internet. Millions of people read these gaming publications for the final word on quite a few games, to see if ‘X’ game is worth their hard-earned money.

New moral and ethical concerns begin to appear. Put yourself in the well-polished shoes and finely tailored business suit of a marketing executive, concerned about your bottom line, hoping that your newest property will take off and become a highly profitable franchise for your organization. The first thing you would think to do is advertise, after all, that is your job right? Well, what if you flooded one particular site with advertising money…you would expect a decent return on your investment…right? On that same site, you would hope that your game would receive a good review to further garner public opinion in your favor and get them to drop $60 on your game…right? See where I’m going with this?

Now CNET stated Monday that Jeff Gerstmann’s termination is not a result of advertiser pressure and a few GameSpot editors said on the HotSpot that the Kane and Lynch review was not the cause. But honestly, I don’t know if I completely believe that. Joystiq confirmed recently that there have been numerous changes to the original Kane and Lynch review. CNET representatives stand firm on the issue stating, “Neither CNET Networks nor GameSpot has ever allowed its advertising business to affect its editorial content” but can we truly believe that? CNET sure wants us to, since they published an article in which they answered many of the burning questions people wanted answers to. In this article, one of the questions was concerning the editing of Jeff’s Kane and Lynch review. Their official response? “Jeff's supervisors and select members of the edit team felt the review's negativity did not match its "fair" 6.0 rating.” This shows that CNET does indeed respond to advertiser pressure, since the review was modified to match the score, and not vice versa.

Now you can begin to see why I’m so shaken by this news. To see the credibility of my favorite gaming publication shattered so quickly was extremely disheartening. While the Kane and Lynch review may not have been the cause of Jeff Gerstmann’s firing, the court of public opinion has already ruled against CNET and unless we get official statements from either CNET or Gerstmann himself (which won’t happen, for legal reasons) that ruling will not change.

Perhaps I am blowing this out of proportion. Perhaps I don’t have all the facts. That’s an understandable position to argue, but with all of the evidence I’ve seen supporting my claims and a much smaller list refuting them, I don’t believe I’m on the wrong side. Shady practices such as these need to end. Unfortunately, such is the state of the gaming industry...an industry in which some publishers decide not to use their money to improve their games and warrant a good score, but to try to buy one from the gaming press. This is bigger than Jeff Gerstmann; this concerns every facet of gaming journalism and personally, I won’t stand for it.

Editorial Minute 2

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 04:55:00 +0000

Here's the second edition of my Editorial Minute series and I certainly plan on making more. In addition, I've got a lot of video projects in the works, including a video review for my favorite game of all time, Perfect Dark so stay tuned!

So Many Projects...

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 05:34:00 +0000

Well, It’s been a little while since I last blogged, and I figured, since I’m sitting here in front of my PC doing absolutely nothing that I’d write a quick update. So without further ado…

Editorial Minute Episode 2 is still being worked on. I know I posted that I already had the voice work done and all I had left to do was the video. Well, the reason it isn’t finished yet is because I’m lazy. That, and I’ve taken on a number of different projects as of late, things that have taken over most of my time and pushed the Editorial minute further and further down the list of things I need to finish. I imagine I’ll get to work on it tomorrow…that is if I don’t get distracted by yet another project.

One of the many projects I’m currently working on is a revival of an old project I pretty much abandoned months ago. Now, under a new name (“Project Era”) and a renewed focus and shift in direction, I think I’ll be able to see it through to the end. Before, the project got a little too ambitious for those of us working on it and it all spun out of control. Well, we realize now that what we need to focus on is getting the core finished first then worry about the periphery at a later date, once we’ve finished a substantial amount and clearly laid out what we intend to accomplish.

You might have noticed that throughout the entire preceding paragraph, I didn’t reveal what “Project Era” is. Of course, that was intentional. All things will be revealed in time.

Well, another thing that takes up a good portion of my time nowadays is my reviews for Talk Xbox. I’ve written quite a few in the short span of time I’ve been working there. My most recent review, published a few days ago was for Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground. Having played Skate (and reviewed that too) it was hard going back to the button based control scheme the Tony Hawk series is known for and due to the series’ lack of change and innovation (especially when compared to Skate) I didn’t really like it as much as I thought I would. It’s not a bad game, but I can’t see myself recommending it over Skate to anyone besides the most hardcore Tony Hawk fans.

Of course, I’ve been working on my writing creatively as well as technically. I find that if I write in one style for too long, it bleeds over into the next. While this is good for my reviews, I don’t want to grow too technical with my creative writing, and thus, I’ll be sitting down to write the second chapter of my “Story in a Blog” very soon.

As the Christmas season approaches, the usual deluge of games is upon us. This is the time of year when the majority of the year’s best games are released and because of that, I can usually find my wallet crying in a corner somewhere as it tries to cope with the fact that it will soon be empty. Well, I may be offering my wallet a little reprieve….at least until the end of the year. Despite the current and impending releases of Super Mario Galaxy (a game I’ve been waiting for since I finished Sunshine) and Mass Effect (a must have RPG) respectively, I told myself that I wouldn’t buy any of them until after Christmas. I have quite a few games to tide me over in the forms of The Orange Box, Bioshock, Halo 3, PGR 4 and many more so I certainly won’t be lacking in great games to play until Christmas when I should have the aforementioned huge releases and possibly Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune to play.

Between all the things I have going on right now, it’s odd that I found the time to write all of that stuff. Funny thing. I usually don’t believe in horoscopes, but I checked mine a few days ago and it said I would be open to taking on a number of new projects and today it had this to say…

“You may be more interested now in expressing your creativity any way you can…”

Wow. Seems to me that this is right on the money. Maybe there’s some truth to this Astrology stuff after all.

The Gaming Industry and the Adults Only Rating...

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 21:16:00 +0000

The Adults Only rating, one of many within the ESRB’s videogame rating system, is one of gaming’s biggest taboos. No one wants to speak of it. It’s rarely seen, but its influence is heard far and wide. Many within the industry fear it, shying away from including content that would even remotely constitute such a rating. Nevertheless, despite this, many have spoken out against it, saying that it should be accepted if the industry is to move forward, and I agree for a number of reasons.

Let’s take for example, Manhunt 2, which has revived much of the debate around the AO rating. While I fully understand that Manhunt 2 is pretty much violent for the sake of being violent, shouldn't the developers be able to express themselves however they like? Would this not fall within their right to Freedom of expression? Things far worse than what is depicted in this game have been expressed in movies, pictures and other entertainment mediums and they're deemed socially acceptable.

So why should Take-Two, or any other developer for that matter, be forced to censor their artistic vision to satisfy the “politically correct” console manufacturers and retail outlets that refuse to carry anything with the AO rating? Isn’t it highly hypocritical of retail outlets to refuse to carry AO rated games, but at the same time, stock all manner of violent horror films?

Let’s pause for a moment and examine the differences between movies, and video games. There have been countless hyper-violent horror films in which people are depicted being brutally murdered, mutilated, and tortured, and yet, none of them have been bad enough to warrant the highest rating the MPAA can issue, NC-17. Instead, these films are rated R, as in “Under 17 not admitted without parent”. Now, this sounds highly familiar to the Mature rating handed out by the ESRB, doesn’t it? Well, not exactly, because it seems that there are a number of things that are acceptable in films that would earn an AO rating in games. Things such as full frontal nudity and sex scenes being prime examples. When such a scene was depicted in a game (the infamous “Hot Coffee” mod), it led to Grand Theft Auto San Andreas being slapped with an AO rating and subsequently pulled from store shelves until a newer version, sans sex scenes, was released. All of a sudden, the two ratings don't seem so similar do they?

I guess it can be argued that Manhunt 2 is worse, since it gives the player the power to commit these violent virtual murders and that level of interactivity is what makes it worse than a film, which puts you in the non-interactive role of the observer. But…isn’t that the point? As we approach the limits of graphical fidelity, the Uncanny Valley as it were, aren’t developers looking to create more immersive experiences? To draw you into the game’s world in the most realistic and believable fashion as possible? Some developers do this with captivating stories; some achieve this through other methods. Rockstar on the other hand simply chose to allow you to simulate virtual murders with stabbing motions of the Wii remote. Some say that’s crossing the line. Others say it’s immersive. You be the judge.

I don't see why this should be singled out for expressing its own brand of hyper-violence. As of late, video games have been far more scrutinized for their depictions of violence than any other medium to my knowledge and it doesn’t make sense to me. It seems the industry hasn’t grown up with its supporters. According to the ESA, the average gamer these days is 33 years old, but apparently, the masses continue to view games as nothing more than a child’s plaything and because of that, games are subject to more attacks than other mediums.

The bottom line is, the gaming industry needs to grow the fuck up. I say this because I care, not to cause controversy and not because I want to see the ratings system destroyed. I’ve grown up. I understand that violence exists and I’m mature enough to draw the line between fiction and reality. I don’t want or need someone to tell me what I can and cannot view of my own free will and this form of censorship and sense of political correctness that follows it is wrong. I am an adult as well as a gamer. I think it’s time I’m trusted to make my own decisions.

An Editorial Minute

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 04:29:00 +0000

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I'm starting a new series of video blogs entitled, The_Game21x's Editorial Minute. This is a pretty rough cut but it demonstrates the point nicely. In each video, I give myself one minute (give or take) to rant openlyabout a previously chosen topic. Basically written reviews I was too lazy to write out. :P

Questions, comments and suggestions for future episodes are always welcomed. Who knows? Maybe I'll make this a weekly thing.

I’m Now the Proud Owner of a Playstation 3

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:50:00 +0000

As of yesterday, I am now the proud owner of a 60 GB Playstation 3 computer entertainment system. I've been debating this purchase for quite some time now and I finally decided to take the plunge. GameStop was offering a free game with the purchase of a 60 GB PS3 and since I wanted one of those as opposed to the similarly priced 80 GB version due to its full backwards compatibility I figured now was the best time to get one.

Here's a picture of the free game I received. I had the choice of either this, Resistance, F1 Championship, Folklore and... another game or two I believe and Heavenly Sword was the obvious choice for me. I'm certainly very interested in Resistance, and that was easily a great second choice, but I can easily find Resistance cheaper than Heavenly Sword so i figured I might as well get the more expensive game free. besides, I've been interested in Heavenly Sword for some time now after playing a few minutes of the final game at one of the demo kiosks at work and once I get my HDTV I'm going to need a game such as this to really put it to good use.

Now, if you'll notice, I've only posted pictures of the unopened box so far and I haven't spammed those of you with PS3's friend requestsover the PSN. Well, that's because I haven't opened it yet and I don't plan to do so until this weekend. I have a lot of schoolwork and other projects to handle this week so I figure I don't need another distraction at the current time.

I'm sure someone out there is thinking, "Well, if you didn't want the distraction, why did you buy it in the first place?" That's easy enough to answer. The 60 GB PS3, which I genuinely believe is the best version of the PS3 out there due to its full backwards compatibility and price had been phased out a few months ago so I had to act fast if I wanted to get my hands on one. Now, when the 80 GB PS3's price was slashed to $500, I was skeptical about picking up the 60 GB version because of the obvious differences in hard drive size and especially the free game in the box. But that all changed when I heard there was a free game deal for the 60 GB version as well, so naturally, I figured now was the best time to buy it. I'm also hearing rumors that the 60 GB's price may receive a cut as well to clear them out of stores to make way for the upcoming 40 GB version so, if it happens within the next week or so, I can take it back, get the difference in price and buy it back once more.

I look forward to playing my PS3 this weekend or whenever I finally crack it open. I'll be posting all my PSN info whenever I get around to making my account and I'll probably post impressions of Heavenly Sword after I've played it for a couple of hours. In other news, I'm also working on a new kind of video blog, entitled "The_Game21x's Editorial Minute" where I'll be ranting about a previously chosen topic for about one minute so stay tuned for that.

-Game

Portal...

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:08:00 +0000

This is, without a doubt, one of the best games I've played so far this year. The puzzles themselves were extremely funny and the writing and humor were both top notch. I can't even complain about its length. the 2 hours or so it lasted was enough. If it had been significantly longer, it might have dulled the experience a bit. Now, I may sound like I'm echoing the recent Zero Punctuation Review of the Orange Box and you'd be exactly right because I completely agree. I didn't expect it to be as occasionally hilarious as it is and I was quite pleasantly suprised. I say occasionally hilarious not as an insult, but as a compliment. Portal's brand of humor doesn't bludgeon you over the head repeatedly. It gives you just enough comedy at just the right places. All the fantastically challenging puzzles and razor sharp wit all culminate into a fantastic ending sequence and one of the best end credits songs you'll even hear in a game. Guaranteed to leave you in stitches.

Portal is almost worth picking up the Orange Box for all by itself. If you have an Xbox 360 or gaming PC right now, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of The Orange Box. It definitely takes the cake.

The_Game21x's Fourth Video Blog

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:05:00 +0000

I've got a brand new video blog, which I filmed just yesterday. Inside I talk more about the Orange Box, Halo 3, my position over at Talk Xbox and some other new things going on in my life. Well, that'll do it for the explanations, I'll leave the rest for you guys to find out as you watch.

Story in a Blog: Chapter One

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:42:00 +0000

Well, I've toyed with the idea of writing a story in my blog posts, each chapter being pure improvisation, with no set story development, characters, character development, etc. Well, I've finally gotten around to writing the first chapter in the series. Additional chapters will be published whenever I get around to writing them. For now, enjoy!

* * *

My eyes snapped open as the incessant sounds of a man banging on the door to my small apartment echoed throughout the place, rousing me from a state of meditation. It was 2 AM and since sleep eluded me yet again, I figured I’d just sit there on my bed with my eyes closed for a moment.

The noise continued. I sat there for a moment, eyes half-open, thinking to myself about the deep shit I’d gotten myself into.

I knew why the man was here. In a fit of desperation and quite possibly insanity, I borrowed a substantial amount of money from a loan shark a while ago and this guy, he was an enforcer. As what is likely the result of a few drinks too many, the exact reason why I borrowed this money was unclear.

“Open up in there!” the man said in a thick New York accent while continuing to hammer on the door.

My three strikes were up. This guy was here to collect on the debt. I hastily grabbed my 9mm handgun, a Beretta, threw on my leather jacket, grabbed my cell phone, and quickly made a dash for the window. I figured I could probably take the guy, but I’d rather not waste perfectly good bullets I’d probably need later. The noise at my door intensified, He’s ramming the door now. Wow, this guy means business.

The window quickly opens and I’m outside, trying my luck with the fire escape. As I make my way down, I begin to question the decision to buy the apartment on the twelfth floor instead of the fourth. My real estate agent said it was worth the extra 50 bucks a month just for the “spectacular view”. Yeah, well right now, I’d rather have that extra cash in my pocket and not have to worry about some guy putting his foot up my ass if I can’t make it down this Fire escape in time.

I’m only a floor down when I hear my door being broken down and my would-be assailant searching for me. I’m a few floors down before the enforcer begins to give chase. As I near the bottom, I suddenly remember that the ladder to the street was broken. Piece of crap fire escape. There are about 10 feet between me and the ground below. I take a chance and jump over the side on the lowest level. I tuck and roll as I hit the rain slicked ground and on my feet within a second or two. Not a moment too soon either as I hear a bullet hit the ground directly behind me.

“You ain’t gettin’ away kid!” The enforcer yells as he fires off two more shots.

Lucky for me, this guy can’t aim worth a damn. I ran around a corner, heading towards a parking garage. My car was parked there, I just had to make it there and I’d be fine.

I was so close too…

As I entered, a large black sedan pulled up in front of me, blocking my path.

“Dammit!” I thought, drawing my Beretta.

I tried to run back, but was met by a red SUV. I turned around to see that two thugs had already exited the black sedan, brandishing pistols of their own and pointing them directly at my chest and two more stepped out of the SUV behind me. I looked around, searching for a way out of this mess.

“End of the line, Alex.” The large guy on the left said.

I continued to survey the situation, Beretta gripped tightly in my right hand. I was good with a gun but I don’t have eyes in the back of my head. Baring some sort of miracle, I realize that I probably won’t be walking away from here alive.

* * *

Does Halo 3 Live Up To The Hype?

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 21:45:00 +0000

This past Saturday, I finally “finished the fight” on Heroic difficulty. What a ride. Now that I’ve completed the game, there is one prevailing question to answer. Does it or does it not live up to the hype? Well, since I’ve been a longtime Halo fan since playing the original on the Xbox several years ago I’m naturally biased towards the “yes” side of the debate but in the following paragraphs, I will attempt to present arguments from both sides of the debate before coming to a conclusion.

Now it’s no secret that this one game has received an astronomical amount of hype preceding its release and for some time afterwards from the immense Halo fanbase, as well as Microsoft itself. For Halo fans, this is the conclusion of the Halo trilogy, one they have been eagerly anticipating for nearly three years. For Microsoft, this is their biggest game. The marketing blitz rolled out nonstop for months prior to release, throwing Halo 3 onto everything from toys, to weapon replicas, to soda.

It can be argued that Microsoft went too far with their Halo 3 marketing blitz and on that point, I agree. But of course, Microsoft has plenty of reasons for marketing Halo 3 such as they have. Microsoft wants this game to sell consoles; they want everyone to buy this game. So far, as evidenced to the 170 million dollars garnered in the first day on the market, it’s working for them. We will soon see how much Halo 3 has influenced Xbox 360 sales as a whole.

Halo 2’s cliffhanger of an ending and confusing storyline left many fans cold, including me. Throughout the single player campaign, many sections turned me off. Halo 2’s campaign was still better than the average shooter’s due to its tight gameplay and impressive enemy AI but I can’t say it was superior to the campaign found in Halo: Combat Evolved in any way. After “finishing the fight”, I can honestly say that Halo 3’s campaign is the best in the series. The story progression and pacing was just shy of perfection and the cutscenes were wonderfully presented which compelled you onward, just to unearth the next juicy plot point. The story begins and ends just as it should, on a very high note. No spoilers will be found here, but the ending, which wraps up the storyline quite nicely, is incredibly satisfying. Trust me, once you see it, you’ll understand.

Halo 2’s multiplayer was satisfying for many, but a bit lacking in terms of balance. Despite being quite entertaining overall, there were plenty of glitches, exploits and problems that disrupted gameplay and annoyed many, especially in the early days. Halo 3 on the other hand seems to be more balanced, entertaining and fun. Based on my personal experience, I honestly can’t say I would prefer the multiplayer modes of Halo 2, or even Halo: CE, which I hold in a very high regard, over Halo 3. It’s not a drastic departure from what you’ve seen in the past, but, much like many other aspects of the game, it’s highly refined.

In many ways, Halo 3 was more of an upgrade from Halo 2 than Halo 2 was to Halo: CE. Halo 2’s additions were more natural progression than anything. Dual wielding was a common theme in many FPSes so it’s fitting that Halo 2 add that feature, and since online play was so commonplace and Halo: CE was the only game Bungie produced that didn’t include online play in years, Halo 2 receiving a slew of online options (except, sadly, online co-op) was a given. Halo 3’s primary additions in the form of the Forge mode and saved films are far from a natural progression of the series.

One of the main problems with Halo 3, as with Halo 2 and to a lesser extent, Halo: CE before it is its lack of change. As stated before, Halo 3 isn’t groundbreaking in any one aspect, more like a refinement of things you’ve already seen in previous titles. The FPS genre is a crowded one, and it takes a great deal of innovation and quality to stand out. Halo 3 may be lacking in terms of innovation (although the Forge mode and saved films are a step in the right direction) it makes up for it by being one of the most polished and enjoyable FPSes you’ll find on any system.

Hype is a very funny thing. If a game meets or exceeds expectations, it’s praised for its quality and talked about for months because it was as good as people thought it would be. On the other hand, if the game falls short, even for the tiniest of reasons, it will then be torn apart by disappointed and disenfranchised gamers since their high hopes have been dashed. That’s the thing about hype, oftentimes; people set themselves up to be disappointed. Halo 3 got a lot of attention and a great deal of well-deserved praise but undoubtedly, there will be those who will be disappointed with it, simply because it did not meet the impossible to attain expectations they had of the game.

No game is perfect and Halo 3 is certainly no exception. Was Halo 3 worthy of the hype? Well, yes and no. It met all of the expectations I had for it and in many ways, exceeded them and I don’t think there’s anything Bungie could’ve done to make me any happier with it. Of course, I imagine there are some people who were disappointed, which brings me back to an earlier point, if you hype yourself through the roof, you’re bound to be disappointed. Generally, everyone who has played it has had their expectations met and in many ways exceeded. As I said before, it’s not drastically different from any other game in the Halo series, but it does so much right that you likely won’t care. Therefore, my answer to the question I posed earlier is a resounding “yes”. In my opinion, there is no better game on the Xbox 360 and is, possibly, the best game to come out this year and in that respect alone, it was worthy of the hype.

My First Review Has Been Posted At Talk Xbox!

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 18:15:00 +0000

Here's the link to my review of Stuntman Ignition at Talk Xbox.This is my first review at the site so I went all out (which explains why the review was so long) I had a great time reviewing it though so it's all good. As for my next article, I'm considering reviewing Medal of Honor: Airborne and possibly a write up of the Call of Duty 4 Beta that I just started playing yesterday.

In other news, I'm still writing my Halo 2 Review. It's coming along nicely but I have no idea when I'll post it. I'm going to type up my review of Super Mario 64 later today so it might be up later tonight or tomorrow depending on how long it takes and how I feel after I finish my homework.

Well, that'll do it for now, I'll have more updates and info later.

I Am Officially a Freelance Gaming Journalist

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 03:36:00 +0000

Yep, you read that right. I have recently (as in earlier today) joined the writing staff over at Talk Xbox. It all began a few days ago when I received a PM from an anonymous GameSpot user asking if I was interested in writing for Talk Xbox. Being the aspiring gaming journalist that I am, I pounced on this opportunity as quickly as I could. Things progressed from there and now, I'm a full fledged part of the team.

In the coming weeks and months, I will be dedicating a lot of my time to contributing to that website, be it scouring the net for news or playing a game for purposes of review. I'm taking this very seriously. It will be a true test for me and balancing school, writing, games and other projects I have going on will be tough, but this is the real world and I need to break out there. This isn't just getting my feet wet; it’s jumping in the whole damn pool.

Now, if you know me or have been tracking my recent blog posts, you know that I'm a huge Halo fan and knowing that, you also know that I can't wait for the release of Halo 3 later this month. I acquired the Halo 3 Edition Zune (figured I'd get the smallest purchase out of the way first) and have a copy of the Limited Edition (not Legendary) preordered at my local GameStop. To get back into regularly reviewing games and as a sort of final send off, I will be reviewing Halo 2. This review should be posted within the next week or so, provided that I don’t get bogged down with a ton of work.

In addition to my Halo 2 review I plan on finishing up my Super Mario 64 (Wii) review and posting it soon. I’ve had this pretty much written out in its entirety for some time now in my notebook; I’m not sure why I never typed it up and submitted it. I’ve also got plans on reviewing Bioshock after I’ve finished with my Halo 2 review. Looks like I’ll be plenty busy for the foreseeable future.

Make sure you stop by the site to check it out once in a while. I’ll probably update here once I’ve posted a new review or article but I don’t plan on using this blog as a free advertisement. Of course, I’d like to see the site grow but I would hope that people would visit it less because I’m pestering them to do so and more because they truly enjoy the articles and reviews we post there. I just hope I can earn my spot among their ranks and deliver the quality reviews both you and I expect.

A Bit of a Dilemma

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 03:45:00 +0000

At the end of this week, I’ll have enough cash saved up to get my hands on one of two things I’ve wanted to buy as of late, a Playstation 3 or the Halo 3 Zune media player. Notice how I said one of the two back there. Now I have a dilemma. Which one do I choose? They’re both limited in supply and when they’re gone, they’re gone. In the following paragraphs, I’ll try to list the pros and cons of getting one versus the other.

The Halo 3 Edition Zune

The Halo 3 Edition Zune is high on my “things to get” list due to the fact that, since my iPod crapped out on me two years ago, I don’t have a proper media player for listening to my favorite music while I’m away from my PC. To satisfy my need for music on the go, I’ve been using my PSP, PDA and, worst case scenario, my busted iPod (it still works on occasion if I screw with it). These are all decent for playing music and get the job done in a pinch (especially the PSP) but they’re hardly ideal. The PSP does score extra points for being a jack of all trades sort of system and handles music playing far better than my PDA or spastic iPod ever did but I can’t see it competing with the Zune because, despite the fact that I have a 4 GB memory stick in there, it’s being occupied by certain…user made applications and files that utilize the PSP in ways Sony never intended. So it’s pretty much out in terms of being a primary music player.

It's not just the Zune itself that appeals to me either. The Halo 3 Edition is the only version of the Zune I’ve ever been interested in. Why? Well, I’m extremely excited for Halo 3 and, well, I want to get this so I have a “well rounded Halo 3 experience”. I’m not the obsessive Halo 3 fan who is going to run out and buy the Legendary edition of Halo 3 and two of the new Halo 3 Edition controllers, the Halo 3 wireless headset and the Halo 3 Edition Xbox 360 or anything of the sort, but I like to collect some of the things that correspond with games I’m excited about.
But there are some downsides to buying it now. The thing is $250, and that would take a huge chunk out of my funds, and it would be that much harder to save up for a PS3. The player itself has its share of downsides as well, due to its limited file support. To date, the Zune only supports WMV for video playback, MP3 and WMA for audio and JPEGs for viewing photos. This isn’t a problem for me since most of my music and pictures are in the required format anyway. The videos are the only thing I’d really have to worry about.

Overall, it looks like a really good purchase. Everyone I’ve talked to who’s bought one seems to like it and I’ve seen some pretty favorable reviews. It has its faults, but the same can be said for all media players, including the iPod. Before I make my decision, I still have to consider the PS3, which brings me to my next point...

The Playstation 3

I can’t forget about this one. If I make a move and buy the Zune without considering this first, I’m sure I’ll kick myself later on down the line. I’ve been considering buying one for quite some time now and because of the recent price cut, now is the best time to finally get my hands on one. There are several games coming down the pipe later this year and into the next that make me excited about the system and will validate my purchase and then some. I can’t bring myself to miss out on the likes of Metal Gear Solid 4, Heavenly Sword, Playstation Home and Gran Turismo 5. The PS3’s built in Blu Ray disc player is certainly enticing, as I’ll probably be making use of it in the future.

The problem is, there’s nothing I’m really excited for on the PS3 that’s available now. The only games I really want to get for the system are Resistance: Fall of Man, Motorstorm and Ninja Gaiden Sigma. All the other games I’m interested on the system right now are multiplatform that I’ll probably end up getting on the Xbox 360 anyways. There are a few downloadable games I’m interested in such as the Gran Turismo HD Concept demo, Tekken: Dark Resurrection, and a few of the downloadable Playstation 1 titles. They’re all good reasons to buy a PS3 but not enough to justify the $500 purchase right now. That’s a lot of money. I didn’t even factor in all the other things I’d need such as games and accessories. I could recoup some of it by selling my PS2 on eBay but I doubt that would do much more besides cover the taxes and perhaps a game.

But then again, I have to consider what I’m getting for my money. I’m getting a Blu Ray disc player, a high end gaming system, a media center, and a platform that will undoubtedly grow in functionality and usefulness as the years progress. For what you get in the system, $500 is really a steal. Now if only I could force my wallet to see it that way, I’d be alright.

Okay, I thought writing all that would help me decide one way or another but it hasn’t. I’m still stuck between the two. Perhaps as pay day approaches, my mind will become clear, and I’ll be able to finally choose which of the two to get first.

My Xbox 360 Is Finally Back From The Repair Center

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:04:00 +0000

After about two weeks of being without it and going back to my older consoles to catch up on some classics that I missed out on, my Xbox 360 is finally back from the repair center. Sort of.

When the UPS truck pulled up outside this past Friday, I rushed downstairs like a kid waking up on Christmas morning to greet the delivery man and receive my package. In a white box, almost exactly like the one I shipped it in was my Xbox 360. I rushed to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and opened it up. Immediately after opening it, I looked at the console inside and said to myself, “This isn’t my 360”. The letter I received in the package confirmed this.

Instead of receiving my repaired Xbox 360, I have been sent a replacement unit. With the news of receiving a replacement, some worries began to develop. Does this mean I have another ticking time bomb on my hands? What of the reported upgrades the 360 has received recently, namely the second heat sink over the GPU? Does this mean my 360 doesn’t have this?

I’ve noticed that my Xbox 360 does have at least one of the new enhancements newer models have received. The disc drive is noticeably quieter and seems to load games a bit quicker. Video quality seems to be a bit improved as well. I noticed that the opening movie that plays before the title screen in Forza Motorsport 2 is a bit smoother, lacking the minor compression artifacts I noticed when playing the game on my old 360.

Despite my earlier worries, the system plays like a dream. Load times are a bit quicker, it runs quieter and of course, it plays some of my favorite games of the generation thus far. Earlier today, I checked out The Darkness and I’ve played an hour or two of it so far. I really like it so far. The Darkness powers really steal the show and are a blast to use (I’ve only really used the Creeping Darkness so far) and the gunplay is pretty good. It’s not up there with top tier shooters, but then again, I don’t think it was intended to be and as it is, it’s still very well crafted. I haven’t played the multiplayer (due to my lack of a real internet connection) but I’ve heard it’s nothing special, especially when compared to the single player mode.

That’s all I have to say for now because I’ve gotta get back to playing my Xbox 360. Forza 2 is calling me and I don’t like to keep it waiting too long. :D

Catching Up On Some Classics

noreply@blogger.com (The_Game21) — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 02:56:00 +0000

My Xbox 360 is off at the repair center, meaning my main platform for next gen gaming is gone for the time being.

So...what is a guy to do? The Wii is fun in short bursts playing RE 4, but I need something else. Something to add to the experience. For that, I turn to my previous generation consoles.

Considering my lack of a 360 at the time (thus no Forza 2 addiction), I've had time to catch up on a lot of last gen classics, particularly those for my good old Xbox. If you've been reading my blogs, you know that I have a job working at a local GameStop. This also means I get a discount. Since the Xbox 360 launched, original Xbox game prices have dropped significantly. This means you can find a bunch of great games by raiding the bargain bin.

Which is exactly what I’ve been doing.

At the store I’m working at, we have a bin set up in the front for all used Xbox games that have dropped to under ten dollars. It’s amazing what you can find in there if you look hard enough. Over the past couple weeks, I’ve found a bunch of great games, most of which were five dollars or less. Below is a list of the games I’ve purchased and their prices. Some of which may shock you as much as they did me.

Unreal Championship 2: $4.99 – This game is a blast to play even by yourself. The online servers are pretty vacant right now, so I’m looking for a couple of folks who have the game to play with on Xbox Live.

Sega GT 2002/Jet Set Radio Future Combo disc: $1.99 – This one was a shocker. Two great games (especially JSRF) for only two bucks? There was no way I was going to pass this one up.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: $4.99 I just got this yesterday and I gotta tell ya, I’m hooked. It’s a fun little beat em up that’s really addictive. I remember wanting to get this when it came out in 2002 but never got around to it. I’m glad I finally did.

Max Payne 2: $1.50 – Another shocker. This game was a complete blast to play through and had a great storyline that had me gripped from beginning to end. At a price this low, considering how much fun I’m having with it, I would’ve been a fool to pass this up.

Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge: $3.99 – I haven’t played this yet, since I’ve been playing Buffy so I can’t attest to its quality just yet. But hey, it scored an 8.9 here so I don’t think I’ll be disappointed.

And there you have it folks. Six great games for less than 15 bucks (when I factor in my discount) with an average score of an 8.6 between them. Now that’s quality gaming. If you’re a gamer on a budget or simply looking to pick up some games that you might have missed over the past few years, check the bargain bin. You’d be amazed at some of the gems you can find there.